Poly(trimethylene carbonate) diols find use in a variety of materials. These diols have been prepared by the polymerization of trimethylene carbonate (TMC, 1,3-dioxan-2-one), generally using catalysts containing organometallic compounds such as zinc, tin and alkali metal compounds, as described in Hyun, H.; et. al. J. Polym. Sci. Part A: Polym. Chem.: Vol. 44 (2006). Also, it has been reported that TMC can be polymerized via various alcohol and HCl initiator systems, as described in Shibasaki, Y.; et al., Macromol. Rapid Commun. 20, 532 (1999) and Macromolecules 2000, 33, 4316. These methods necessitate the removal of the catalyst used, especially when the resulting diols are to be used in biomedical applications.
As described in Ariga et al., Macromolecules 1997, 30, 737-744 and in Kricheldorf et al., J. Macromol. Sci.—Chem A26(4), 631-644 (1989), in the cationic polymerization of TMC, the initiating agent becomes incorporated into the polymer ends.
There exists a need to produce catalyst-free poly(trimethylene carbonate) glycols via polymerization of trimethylene carbonate (TMC, 1,3-dioxan-2-one).